Lab One Flashcards
Introduction & General Classification
Cereal Crops
Grasses that produce edible grains (e.g.: wheat, rice, corn, barley, and sorghum). Store energy in their seeds as starch
Grain Crops
The harvested portion of grasses, legumes, and other crops (e.g.: corn, soybeans, flax and buckwheat)
Small Grains
Applies to wheat, oats, rye, and barley, because their seed is small relative to corn
Row Crops
Grown in wider rows (corn, sorghum, soybeans)
Pulses
Legumes grown for their edible high protein seeds (e.g.: soybeans, edible field bean, field peas, lentils, peanuts, chickpeas and cowpeas)
Forages
Crops whose vegetative parts (stems, leaves, attached seeds or grains) are used for livestock feed (e.g.: alfalfa, clovers and smooth broomgrass)
Hay
Forage that is dried to about 20% moisture and stored in air
Silage
Forage harvested at 50-80% moisture and sealed in silos
Fiber Crops
Plants grown for their fibers, used for clothing, rope, paper and baskets (e.g.: cotton, Flax, Hemp)
Root and Tuber Crops
Crops harvested for their underground storage organs that are rich in starch (e.g.: Irish Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Cassava)
Cover Crops
Crops grown to prevent soil erosion (e.g.: winter rye, hairy vetch)
Companion Crops
Crops seeded with a small-seeded legume to provide erosion control, suppress weeds and for extra income (e.g.: oats, wheat)
Green Manure Crops
Legumes or grasses that are incorporated into the soil while vegetative with the purpose of adding nutrients to the soil or enhancing soil quality (e.g.: Sweet Clover, Alfalfa, Hairy Vetch, Winter Rye)
Recreational Turf Crops
Crops used for lawns, football and soccer fields (e.g.: Kentucky bluegrass, perennial rye grass, bentgrass, bermudagrass)
Bioenergy Crops
(Biofuel Crops, Biomass Crops) Crops grown specifically for use as a dedicated source for production of liquid fuels (e.g.: Corn, Grain Sorghum and Soybeans)
Nutritional-Use Categories
Classified according to the ways we use them nutritionally
Sugar Crops
Sugar is obtained from these crops (e.g.: sugarbeets, sugar cane, corn and sweet sorghum)
Oil Crops
Produce oil-rich seeds (e.g.: Soybean, Flax, Sunflower, Canola, Peanut and cotton)
Protein Crops
Produce seeds that are naturally high in protein (e.g.: soybeans, peas, field beans, peanuts, chickpeas, lentils)
Starch Seed Crops
Produce seeds that are high in starch (e.g.: corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, millet, sorghum and buckwheat)
Starchy Root and Tuber Crops
Crops have starchy roots and tubers (e.g.: sweet potatoes, Irish Potatoes)
Annuals
Complete their life cycle in one year or one growing season. The termination of their life cycle is seed production
Summer Annuals
Planted in the spring months, grow during the summer months, and mature during late summer to fall (e.g.: Crops - soybean, corn, spring wheat; Weeds - Pigweed, Velvetleaf, foxtails, ragweed)
Winter Annuals
Planted in late summer or early fall, grow vegetatively before winter, overwinter in a dormant state, and flower in the spring. Typically flower in response to the lengthening days in late spring (e.g.: Crops - Winter wheat, winter rye, some canola varieties; Weeds - Chickweed and wild mustard)
Biennials
Complete their life cycle in two growing seasons. In the first year, biennials are vegetative and accumulate significant storage reserves in the fall of the seeding year. After overwintering, biennials flower, form seed and die (e.g.: Crops - sugarbeeet, sweet clover; Weeds - Wild Carrot, Bull thistle)
Perennials
Plants that persist for three or more years or growing seasons. Herbaceous perennials have some type of specialized energy-storage structure such as rhizomes, fleshy taproots or corms (e.g.: Crops - Alfalfa, white clover, big bluestem, switch grass; Weeds - quackgrass, Johnsongrass, dandelion, and Jerusalem artichoke)
Pseduo-Annuals
When biennials or perennials are harvested after only one growing season, they are called pseudo-annuals (e.g.: sugarbeet, cotton, alfalfa, red clover)
Tropical Plants
Originated at or around the equator and between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer. Often called warm-season plants and grow best in the warm climates, at temperatures above 50. Temperature below 32 kill tropical plants (e.g.: corn, sorghum, soybean, cotton, sugarcane). Corn and soybean are now grown extensively in northern latitudes as summer annuals plants. They are planted in the spring after the last killing frost and are harvested in the fall.
Temperature Plants
Originated in regions of distinct seasonal change in temperature (e.g.: Alfalfa, wheat and barley). They are also called cool-season plants. In northern latitudes, cool-season plants grow best in spring and fall. In tropical and subtropical regions, temperature crops are used as winter crops.
Subtropical Crops
Border the tropical and temperature regions. Grow best at warmer temperatures, but they tolerate some freezing temperatures.